Dorm Room Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[copodenieve]

I got a job as a resident advisor next year...the good I get free room and board and a little paycheck in my larger single room (which I can decorate all how I please)...the bad-I have to fund the decorating and I'm clueless, and it's still a 12ft. by 16ft prison cell.

So here's my question: I'm just looking for ideas on how to make it homey and nice and cool to hang there. 

What I've got to work with...
It's got white/yellowish walls that are just painted blocks (standard ol' dorm room).  I'm going for black and silver accents with hot pink, lime green and purple as the main colors. 
What I'm already working on:
-creating a slipcover for my futon (hot pink or purple)
-curtains
-some of those tshirt prodded rugs for the bathroom and maybe one for my entry area
-these picture clips: http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=29022.0 (paint idea colors for them? mix and match all of them?)
-possible wrapping paper used as wallpaper on one wall (not sure what color again)

I've got about 6-7 yards of plain purple fabric from curtains I have in my room now, and an additional 6-7 yards of silver tulle (not sure, it's sheer and kinda small netty like that I had over the purple).  Any ideas on what I can do with that?  Pretty much I'm open for anything...I don't have a lot of money (I'm hoping to score a nice coffee table dumpster diving next week) so whatever you guys can suggest will be awesome!

[Melissa_Bumbles]

there's a post here on craftster where someone did an amazing room with lots of colour and curtains...here it is...

www.crafster.org/forum/index.php?topic=19870.0

hope that helps...fyi, when i typed in "dorm" into the crafster search, it came up with several finds...

[kategirl]

I've been in a dorm for two years.  you're lucky that you have such a big room!  our ra's get much smaller singles than that.  your room is larger than most of our doubles!

for futon covers...  two flat sheets sewn around the edges with velcro on the end makes a great cover.  it's cheap if you buy the sheets on sale, or at bed, bath, & beyond or linens and things with coupons.

I'd reccomend a funky lamp if you don't have one.

for rugs, here's a thread about them.  making them it tons cheaper than buying them.  http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=158.0

[Madeleine09]

I know that at our university they like the RA's to have some sort of school spirit kinda stuff in their rooms, so one cool thing you could do is take t-shirts from your school and make pillow covers out of them (for like throw pillows for your futon) Our school gives out free t-shirts at almost all functions, so I have a ton of them. I don't know if you have a lot of t-shirts you would willing to do this with, but they are real fun pillows!

[MendhiFae]

You're lucky our double rooms are only 12'x13'.  Instead of using wrapping paper on the wall I've seen some rooms on here with one wall  covered in 12x12 scrapbooking paper.  just wait for a sale and buy it up in whatever color and pattern combo you like.  I use lots of poster in my room because of our ugly cinder block walls.  Oh, and 3m poster strips work wonders if you can use them to hang stuff.  Lets see...oh and I bought a month calendar white board for my room last year and I loved it.  hope this helps

[penguinade]

Hi Copodenieve,

I'm a second year RA, congrats on getting the job.  Feel free to pm me if you have any questions.  Getting on with it though . . .

First off, your room is huge.  I'm so jealous.  Anyway, your room will probably be multi-use depending on whether or not you have lounge space on your floor.  If you don't you'll need to make your room a comfortable place for you to live, study and work in.  I like to reserve the half of my room that's closer to the door for residents/socializing.  That way, people don't have to walk past my bed, laundry basket and study stuff to sit down.  It makes residents feel much more invited and comfortable if they have an issue.  A small table is great if you have to write out roommate agreements or things like that.

I'd use the tulle as a room divider.  This way, if your bed/desk area get a little messy, it's not a big deal because it's all hidden.  Just make sure this is ok as per the regulations of your res hall.

I find it a pain if i have too much stuff in my room, so I keep everything limited and stashed away.  Then my room doesn't feel too stuffy if I hang up a few conversation pieces like a cool lamp and a wall hanging.  Pillows are always fun